Changes to Techvibes: we hope you enjoy them

So far, this has been Techvibes' best summer ever. Traffic wise, yes, but also because we've been able to implement some new features to enhance our readers' experience. We've listened to your feedback, had lightbulbs pop up above our heads, and are thrilled to deliver today some of the many upgrades we have cooking on the stove with plenty more on the way.

Disqus.

Regular readers will have noticed we now use Disqus as our comments system. Disqus is widely recognized as a leading platform for building communities online. We admit that our old comments section was both limited in scope and fairly cumbersome to use, which discouraged commenting on our content. We hope that, with the introduction of Disqus on Techvibes.com, you find it a more pleasant experience to engage with Canada's tech community online.

Improved share buttons.

Everyone loves to be able to share their favourite content to their networks with the click of a mouse. We've always offered the ability to tweet blog posts, jobs, and events and share them on Facebook. But we've made a few subtle improvements with more to come.

First, we now use the official Twitter button for tweeting content. This erases some of the malfunction issues that were occurring in the past. We have also swapped out the Facebook share button for the official Like button. It's a simpler and more widely used way to share content on Facebook. Finally, we've added a button for sharing content on LinkedIn, which has become a popular place for readers to filter relevant news.

We're sure you'll appreciate these improvements, but there's still work to be done. We're implementing the new Google+ button soon, so look out for that. Also, with the growth of tablet and smartphone usage, mobile browsers of Techvibes have complained that because of the location of these buttons, they don't show up on iPads and other mobile devices. Soon, these buttons will be inside the post, giving everyone universal access to one-button sharing. And don't forget that we now have a mobile app, free to download on all smartphone platforms. It has all our great content in real-time, plus our famous job board, events calendar, and company directory.

Infographics.

Techvibes believes in not just aggregating and reporting on valuable Canadian technology news, but in adding its own unique elements of value. One of the ways we've decided to do this is through infographics. Words are powerful but we believe an infographic can make impacting statements and highlight the key statistics and concepts behind a research paper or a trend in ways that words can't. It's also something that is easily shareable among friends and colleagues and allows a reader to digest information almost instantly.

We ran three infographics in June as a test run. These were very well received and we had many readers asking for more. So of course we're going to deliver. Look out as we plan to publish amazing new infographics weekly on mobile data, social media trends, and everything else Canadian and tech related.

Curated Content.

Our unique Curated Content concept has been around for months now, but we're proud of how it's progressed. We continually add new partners to the mix and are always looking for up-and-coming or underground writers and bloggers and businesses to share their content on our site. Tweet us or email us if you're interested in learning more about this opportunity.

The future.

We're excited about the changes we've made to Techvibes.com, but this is only the beginning. There are still plenty more improvements in the pipeline and we can't wait to roll them out.

Techvibes is Canada's leading technology media property.
Originally founded in 2002, Techvibes is dedicated to covering social, mobile, and startup news that impacts Canadians. Our editors and nationwide network of reporters combine breaking hyperlocal news with international coverage to deliver a unique balance of insight and information. New in 2012, Techvibes is also the host of the annual...
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Knowlton Thomas

Knowlton is the managing editor of Techvibes.
Based in Vancouver, Knowlton has been published in national publications and has also appeared on television and radio.
Previously he was an editor for New Westminster weekly The Other Press and served on its board of directors.
When not working, Knowlton enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and martial arts.
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